More Than It Seems
by Hunter Jade Slater
Summary: When one of Earth's myths appears in Narnia, the Pevensie children have to brace themselves for more excitement than they bargained for.
1. Unexpected Guests

A/N: This story and any after it are not going to tie in with the first Narnia story I wrote

_A/N: This story and any after it are not going to tie in with the first Narnia story I wrote. That is why all the characters are to be different, circumstances different, etc._

_Disclaimer: Narnia isn't mine. Anything that was in the books or movies is not mine._

**Unexpected Guests**

I was bent over at my desk, reviewing the letter an upset group of Dryads from the North had sent regarding the recent vicious attacks on their kin. It was the year 1002, and we had thought that all the Fell beasts had been killed or permanently driven out. Apparently, we were wrong.

But recently, a Birch Dryad had been attacked. There were several deep scratches in her trunk (or body, depending at what time you see her). She would live, but she was in critical condition.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I leaned back in my chair, not quite sure of what I should do. I knew what the base plan was- find whatever it is that was attacking and kill it or drive it away. The question was, how?

I was interrupted from my thoughts when a Cat stepped gracefully into the doorway of my chamber and sat in a stately manner, with his tail curled around his feet. His fur was sleek, and white as snow, and his eyes a jade green. The Cat bowed and said,

"Her Majesty Queen Susan Pevensie, via the Cat messenger Aapeli, requires the presence of her Royal brother, King Peter, in the throne room as soon as possible."

I nodded. "Thank you Aapeli, and congratulations to you and Renae on the kittens."

"Thank you Sire," said Aapeli, bowing once more.

He left, and I stood and straightened my hair, setting my crown back upon it. I left my chamber, only to almost run into my younger brother, Edmund, when I reached the stairs.

"Sorry, Ed."

He straightened himself out. "That's alright. Su call you too?"

I nodded. "I wonder what about?"

He shrugged. "Search me."

We continued down the stairs together, and found Lucy and Susan waiting in the throne room. As we approached them, I said, "Is there any particular reason you have called us?"

"How can you have forgotten? The guests are arriving today!" Susan said.

All at once, it hit me. Of course! Three guests from a land far out into the ocean were coming, and I had completely forgotten! I stole a glance at my little brother, and he looked back at me in dismay, letting me know that he had forgotten as well.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Well, they should be arriving soon and we don't want to appear like fifty percent of us forgot about them."

My brother and I sheepishly moved into our thrones. Lucy and Susan sat in their own, and before long, the Centaur by the door announced the names of our visitors.

"Presenting their Majesties Princess Aleksandra Lucy Aleida Johanna Pace, Prince Damien Eskandar Preston Pace, and Prince Adrien Pearce Ronan Pace of Atlantis."

_Atlantis?_ I thought, bewildered. Atlantis had been the fabled country on Earth that had sunk beneath the sea. It had held knowledge and technology far more advanced than the countries surrounding, technology that wouldn't be seen for many years yet.

And then, it hit me again. Atlantis hadn't sunk to the bottom of the sea- it had fallen into a chasm between worlds and had ended up here.


	2. More Than It Seems

Disclaimer: Not mine, except the children from Atlantis

_Disclaimer: Not mine, except the children from Atlantis._

**More Than It Seems**

Before me stood three fair-haired, fair-skinned teenagers. They were all beautiful in their own way. The girl was very graceful, every move looking like a step to a complex dance. Her brothers followed after her, cautious, looking much like Edmund and Peter did when they followed Lucy and I.

They stopped before us. The girl curtseyed saying, "Queen Aleida and King Pearce send their blessing along with their three children, Princess Aleksandra, Prince Damien, and Prince Adrien." She motioned to her brothers in order.

Princess Aleksandra was tall and willowy, with long, wavy, honey-caramel hair falling to her waist. Her eyes were a bluish grey. Prince Damien seemed to be close in age to the princess. His hair was very light blonde, and slightly shaggy, his eyes a very light blue. Prince Adrien was the only one with brown eyes, his hair just slightly darker than Princess Aleksandra's, and cleaner cut than his brother's.

Peter nodded. "And the Lion's blessing upon you and your family."

They nodded, accepting the blessing. "You are puzzled, High King over all Kings under Aslan's service," Prince Damien noted. His voice was a light tenor, as pleasant as his sister's.

"Indeed, I would be lying if I spoke otherwise. You are wise, young prince." Peter said.

"What is it that puzzles you?" Damien asked.

Peter seemed to be debating whether to answer. When he didn't speak, I did.

"In the land of Humans, where we herald from originally, Atlantis was a mythical country which had sunk under the sea in some earthquake. We were wondering, was the naming of your country a coincidence, or…?" I let myself fade, knowing they understood.

"It is quite a long story. If you would wish to hear it, then you would have to send your guards from the room." It was Prince Adrien who spoke now. "We do not mean you any harm any more than you mean it to us."

"But the question is, are you using the Royal 'we', or do you speak for your siblings as well?" questioned Edmund.

Aleksandra smiled. "Witty and yet thinking for his family's safety. It is no wonder that they call you the Just. My brother speaks for all of us, Sire."

"Then tell, for if I know my siblings well, we love stories." Edmund said. " Guards, you are to stand outside the door until we call. The same is said for all pages, messengers, etc."

Fairly soon, they were quite alone in the throne room. The last people to leave were the Nymphs who brought chairs for the three guests. Then, they started.

"Listen, wise kings and queens of Narnia, for this tale is not told often. Our people were not originally from Earth, as you call it. They were not Sons and Daughters of Adam and Eve, but a race far more advanced than that. They were closer to Aslan and his father, The Great Emperor-Over-Sea. They were called upon to govern the animals, which unfortunately do not talk as they do here, and the humans.

"So they settled on an island continent. It had many names- Atlantis, Afalloné, Land of Light are a few. They were very tall, fair, and long-lived. Over time they began breeding with Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve, and they got shorter and some with darker hair and eyes than those before. But it was a happy time, of prosperity and knowledge."

Damien took over for his sister. "But then came the day the earth shook. Many other continents fell into the great ocean- Lemuria, Mu, Mar, and Lumania. But the Atlanteans, also known as the Annunaki or the Elohim, and in some cultures, the Titans, held fast to their faith in Aslan. They prayed to him and the Great Emperor, and they were delivered into this world. For years and years they knew not of Narnia or Calormen or Archenland, or even of the other islands in the Eastern Sea. But we found them eventually, and we have made peace with them."

Then Adrien spoke. "So we have started our journey on to make peace with the mainlands. Your country was first, because you have already a history of peace and great ruling. This we can tell for ourselves from observing you. So it is your choice- will you make peace with us? Or will you not, forcing us to leave you as soon as your decision is made?"

We all looked at each other in unease. Sensing our feelings, Aleksandra said gently, "It is not a choice to be made immediately. You may take as long as you need. We will simply stay on our ship for as long as it may take."

"You are very unassuming and kind, Princess Aleksandra," said Edmund, "But this is where I simply must draw the line. It simply will not do for our guests to remain on their ship while here. I- and I'm sure my siblings agree- insist that you stay in the Cair."

"If that is your wish, King Edmund," Aleksandra said, ever so slightly pink in the face, "then we will most certainly do so."

"I know of rooms that are right next door to each other that would suit you three very well," said Lucy, speaking for the first time since their arrival. This surprised me, seeing as Lucy was usually the most talkative. But I knew she had been analyzing them, and she approved.

"Well then," I said briskly. "Let's not tarry here a moment longer. We shall get our guests settled."


	3. These Dreams Inside

Disclaimer: Once again, not mine

_Disclaimer: Once again, not mine._

**These Dreams Inside**

I led the three guests along the corridor. I was side by side with Aleksandra, and we walked along in relative silence for a time. But I had a question, and when I have a question, it usually gets asked.

"Princess Aleksandra-" But I was cut off for a moment.

"Please, now that we're out of the throne room, forget the formalities. Call me Aleks, like my other friends." Aleks smiled with a weary expression. "It gets very annoying, having so many names."

I smiled. "I was just about to ask why you have so many."

"It's a tradition where we come from. Each girl gets two middle names, plus their mother's name, and the boys only get one, plus their father's. If you have more than one girl, one gets their grandmother's name, and if more than one boy, one gets their grandfather's name. Usually it's the older one who gets their father's name, but not in my brothers' case." Aleks shrugged.

"I understand why you like it short," I chuckled.

She laughed as well. "I see why they keep yours short. Were you named after anybody?"

"My grandmother, Lucy," I replied. "My mother was very close to her."

"Is-is it very hard to be away from them sometimes?" Aleks asked hesitantly.

"Sometimes. But I have Peter, and Edmund, and Susan. They take care of me, and I of them."

Aleks was just about to say something when a small crash ensued. A tiny white kitten slid into the corridor in front of us, stopping at our feet. Renae, a wife of one of our Cat messengers, followed quickly.

"Your Majesty! I am so sorry, I did not mean to bother you or your guests." Renae rounded on the little blue-eyed ball of white fluff. "Nikolai! What have I told you about playing by the suits of armor?"

"No, it's quite alright, Lady, he didn't bother us," Aleks said, kneeling by the kitten. She picked him up and scratched his head, sending him purring. "He's such an adorable little thing."

Nikolai, who was tiny enough to fit on her hand, turned around to face his mother. "Can I play with her? She's nice."

Renae sighed. "If it is alright with Queen Lucy, you may tag along."

Nikolai bounced for joy. "Can I? Please? Your Majesty," he added belatedly. I laughed.

"Of course it's alright. Come along, we were just about to show them their rooms."

So we walked along, and as we chatted I found out that Aleks and Damien were fourteen, same age as Edmund, and Adrien was thirteen, same as me. Aleks and Damien were fraternal twins, and she was constantly looking after him or cleaning up for him. At the end of our short walk, we were friends.

"I hope you will join us for supper," I said, pretending to be formal. Aleks giggled.

"I would be delighted." She said, curtseying. We both giggled and her brothers sighed.

"Aleks, please stop being a pain in the rear," Damien said, causing her to squeal when he pinched her in said area. Adrien chuckled.

"Thank you, Queen Lucy." he said over the sound of his siblings bickering.

"Please, just Lucy to all of you." With that I smiled at them, set Nikolai on the floor, and turned away, leaving them to the company of each other.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Peter, they said take as long as you like," Susan reminded him as he paced back and forth across the room.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean it's polite to stretch on the decision making indefinitely." Peter retaliated.

"They made at least one thing very clear- agree and they'll stay for a time as guests. Disagree and they leave, either to make war preparations or deciding we are not good enough. Think of all these people could tell us! They were far more advanced than even people back in London," Edmund jumped in. I sighed.

"Can we stop going in circles? This part of the conversation has been going on for an hour and so far we've accomplished nothing." I said. "What is there to disagree with? They can certainly be helpful to us, and we wouldn't want to be against them in any war. They would be powerful allies, and easier to work with seeing as they've already stated their belief in Aslan. Why would anyone say no?"

"She makes a fair point, Pete." Edmund pointed out. "There's nothing the Elohim can't help us with. Knowing the Calormenes as they are, they will most likely disagree out of jealousy. King Lune is no fool, he will accept. If the Calormenes decide to attack, it's all the more pity on them."

"Alright, alright." Peter said, holding up his hands. "I know when I've been beaten. We'll tell them our decision over supper."


	4. Blur Reality's Lines

Disclaimer: Narnia does not belong to me

_Disclaimer: Narnia does not belong to me. Neither does the song, Candlelight Carol, by Joseph McManners._

**Blur Reality's Lines**

"We have made our decision," Peter said over supper to our guests. All three looked up in interest at him, laying down their utensils. "We have decided to accept your offer of peaceful alignment."

They smiled. "We are glad you've accepted." Aleksandra began. Then she noticed Lucy fidgeting in her chair. "Lucy, what is it?"

"Well, you keep acting so formal with everyone! It seems so funny to me now." Lucy said with a giggle Aleks grinned, the first time I had seen her as more than anything but cool and polite.

"I was going to get to that, if you'd keep your mouth shut," Aleksandra said, nudging Lucy under the table. I did my famous 'Huh?' look and glanced to Susan. She shrugged. "We don't want to be too formal with you. You can call us by our names. Adrien, Damien, Aleks. We prefer that to our full names." Here she grimaced.

I chuckled, unable to help myself. Peter glanced at me, then shrugged. "We don't really mind you calling us by our names either, but you do know that there are times and places to use formalities, right?"

"Of course," Damien said. "We would be pretty bad rulers if we didn't."

So the rest of supper passed in laughter and chatter. I was surprised to see that in spite of their rather strange upbringing, the three of them weren't very different from us. Watching them walk away, laughing and arguing agreeably, I commented to Susan, "I think we're in for more than we bargained for."

She nodded. "I think you're right, Ed, but more than we bargained for seems to be turning out pretty nicely."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Early next morning, I was walking along the Cair corridors before breakfast when I heard snatches of music coming from an open door. I looked in to find Aleks, her hair pulled up with what seemed to be an artist's graphite pencil, the sleeves of her light blue gown pushed up to her elbows and an apron over that. She was singing as she painted, looking out the window onto the Cair gardens.

"Candlelight,

Angel light,

Firelight

and Starglow,

shine on his cradle

till breaking of dawn.

Gloria! Gloria!

In Excelsis Deo.

Angels are singing,

the Christ child is born."

It was then that she turned around to get some new paint and she found me leaning in the doorway. Immediately she looked embarrassed- obviously no one was meant to have found her like this. I grinned at her. "Good morn."

"Good morn to you as well," she said, nodding. It was the best she could do, seeing as her hands were full. "Why are you up at this hour?"

"I would ask you the same thing, but I already know the answer." I said with a laugh. "I simply woke up early, that's all. Breakfast should be soon, however. If you would like, I could wait for you while you wash up and I could escort you."

"That would be nice, if it wasn't any trouble," Aleks answered hesitantly.

"None at all."

That seemed to stiffen her resolve. She laid her palette down on a table spread with a cloth to protect it, put her brush in a cup full of water, then vanished into the adjoining bathroom that connected her room to Damien's. There was the sound of splashing water, then she came out, pulling the pencil out of her hair and letting it tumble down her back.

I offered her my arm, which she took, and we went down to breakfast. We met her brothers along the way, and then Lucy, Susan, and Peter in the Dining Hall. Over breakfast, we discussed the plans for today. Aleks said she planned on doing more painting and drawing of the Cair. Adrien and Damien said they were going to practice against each other in the practice fields. Peter and I offered to practice with them, to which they eagerly accepted. Susan persuaded Aleks to come show off her shooting skills with her and Lucy.

With a promising schedule like that, we adjourned to prepare ourselves for our day.


	5. Till There's Nothing That's Left Of Me

Disclaimer: Not

_Disclaimer: Not! Mine!_

_A/N: I completely made up the festival here. Don't shoot me._

**Till There's Nothing That's Left Of Me**

After breakfast, I returned to my room, pulled my hair back up with the pencil, put the apron back on, and continued my painting. I kept my singing a bit lower than before though—that was quite embarrassing. Good thing Edmund is so polite.

I was painting the view out of my window onto the Cair grounds, the different statues and flowerbeds and the people who might be there. Only, I'd added four people who hadn't been there when I'd started painting- Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. I thought they'd appreciate it. It depicted them laughing together as a young bird came and landed on Peter's shoulder.

I planned to give it to them when the Festival of Lights rolled around in a few weeks. During the Festival of Lights, everybody woke up before dawn and went to a meeting place- say, the courtyards of Cair Paravel, or something like that- and everyone would sing a tribute to Aslan and the dawn. Every year there were two leaders in the song- one boy and one girl. After that, there was the celebration. Dancing, food, shows, crafts, anything and everything you could think of. People gave and received gifts.

So I thought it was high time to be making everyone's gift, seeing as mine were handmade, and painting took a while.

In about half an hour, I was finished with the painting. I looked at the great sundial by my window and saw that it was about time for my archery practice with Susan and Lucy. So I washed up, put away my painting supplies, and grabbed my bow and quiver.

I met them out on the lawn. Lucy was setting out the targets, and Susan was stringing her bow. I joined her in the act, making sure my string was oiled well. I shouldered my quiver, and I stood in front of my target, several feet away. "Ready?"

They nodded, and we all began to shoot our arrows as fast as we could. That was how you practiced. If you aren't fast enough in battle, then they get you first and that's that.

Being able to hit people with your bow helps too, but that's more if you're thrown into the battle and not at archer's height.

Lucy and Susan were good, but Susan was easily the best out of all three of us. She was done just as I drew my last arrow and shot it. Lucy finished a moment after me, and we stood there panting and grinning at each other.

We went up to the targets to review our work. My target had seven of sixteen in the bull's-eye, seven in the blue ring around it, and two in the white space. Lucy's was five of sixteen in the bull's-eye, seven in the blue ring, and four in the white space. But Susan's was eight in the bull's-eye and eight in the blue ring. Some were split where another arrow had come in the same spot.

"You're amazing," I said to Susan. "Must be the best in Narnia." And I wasn't flattering her.

"I'm alright I guess." She shrugged. "But let's go see how your brothers fare against ours."

We crossed the lawn into another cleared space. Each boy was clad in mail and really going at it. Peter had Rhindon and his shield, Adrien with Aryn and shield, Damien with Elemar and shield, but Edmund was with Merwyn and Garon, no shield.

They whirled around in a clash of metal and glint of mail and sword. We watched them intently. My brothers had been trained with the sword masters at our castle on Atlantis, but Peter and Edmund had definitely been blessed with both good teachers and great skill.

Eventually they stopped, Peter having been disarmed by Damien, and Adrien disarmed by Edmund. They stood in their threatening poses for a moment more, then Damien and Edmund dropped their swords (and in one case, shield as well) and took off their helmets. Their hair was damp and I was sure they didn't smell all that great either.

They looked up as we crossed the yard. "I see you two are just as good as your sisters," I noted. They grinned, still panting, not really having enough breath to say anything.

Oreius trotted out, gazing at them all in approval. "Your own brothers are of great skill, if one can best Peter."

We all trudged inside, ready for some water. After getting water, we all sat, trying to regain our senses from the sun and the beatings everybody had received, physical or not.

After we had all gotten back into our heads, Damien said, "So, now that we've officially beaten each other to bits, I propose a wash then lunch?"

Lucy shook her head. "That's all boys think about, isn't it? Food?"

"No," Edmund protested. "We think about sword fighting and girls too."

Everybody laughed. Adrien started choking on his water and Peter beat his back so he wouldn't choke to death.

"At least they did propose a wash," Susan pointed out.

"That's true," I agreed. "We'll take you up on that offer. Go get washed up and we'll make sure there's a nice meal waiting when you're done."

The four of them tramped out and Lucy, Susan, and I sat for a moment more until we too left the room to tidy ourselves up.


	6. If I Could Believe These Dreams Aside

Disclaimer: Narnia isn't mine

_Disclaimer: Narnia isn't mine. I wish._

**If I Could Believe The Dreams Aside**

"Aleks?" I called through the doorway of our adjoining bathroom. I was washed and dressed in clean clothes, my blonde hair sticking to my forehead. "Where's my comb?"

"I don't know where your comb is! Do you expect me to look after your things?" she retorted, wrinkling her nose. "It's hard enough just looking after you."

"Ha ha," I said sarcastically. She grinned at me sweetly.

"See you later, Damien."

"Where are you going?"

"Your lunch isn't going to prepare itself."

"But you aren't going to prepare it either!"

"No…but how else will they know we're going to HAVE lunch?"

I shut my mouth. She always managed to outsmart me somehow. Oh well.

She left the room and I found my comb. I combed out my hair (which at that point was almost dry) and took one last speculating look in the glass. Passing self-inspection, I left my room and nearly ran into my brother.

"Come on, Dame, I'm hungry." Adrien said, crinkling his nose (A habit we all had).

We found ourselves to be the last of the four to wash up. As we entered the dining hall, we found the mood of the afternoon perceptibly changed. Everyone was serious now, looking at a letter lying on the table. Edmund, who had apparently entered a few moments before us, looked at it over Aleks's shoulder and frowned. She looked upset. Lucy was white, Peter was red. Edmund and Susan looked at each other with dismay.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"The Calormenes are coming." Edmund replied.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"What? Why?" Adrien asked, astonished.

"They believe it's time for a visit of state, or that's what they say." Susan said.

"We think they may have gotten wind of you three coming," Edmund added.

"That means there's someone inside the castle who has betrayed not you but us as well," Peter said angrily. Aleks still looked very upset. I knew what she was thinking, but Lucy got there first.

"But it isn't your fault, Aleks, you mustn't think that at all. Calormenes play dirty tricks, they throw underhand."

"But I don't understand who could have known we were from Atlantis!" Aleks said. "No one was in the room when we told you."

"Or so we thought," I said. Everyone looked at me.

"Think about it- it may just as well be a Talking Rat or Mouse, or someone who knows enough magic to hear without being seen. It could very well be any of the smallest or most gifted in the Cair."

Adrien frowned. "Did we bother looking up at the roof?"

"The roof?" Susan asked. "No, why?"

"Birds."

A look of dismayed understanding dawned on everyone else's face.

"Someone with good ears. An owl, an eagle, a hawk. Swift and talented. And the Calormene god Tash is modeled after a great bird of prey."

"But aren't the Calormenes afraid of Narnia? I've heard what they call us," Peter said. "Barbarian kings, wild people, evil sorcerers."

"But while the Tisroc is flawed, he is clever." Edmund said. "Great, fat pig that he is."

But I had noticed a change in my sister. "Now, now, Edmund, let's not lose our temper. Staying calm will be helpful if we want to do this right."

"Do what right?"

"You see, we can receive the Calormenes with businesslike efficiency," Aleks said, wearing her plotting look, "And they will ask about us. We can use some of the things we know, own, and can make up to scare them well enough that they won't bother you again for a long time."

Adrien and I grinned at each other. I knew exactly what she meant. But the others were understandably confused.

Aleks grinned at us. She took me with one arm, me taking Adrien, and she took Edmund with the other. She drew us in close with the others, and we began to plan.


	7. I Am Capable of More Than It Seems

Disclaimer: It ain't mine

_Disclaimer: It ain't mine._

**I Am Capable of More Than It Seems**

Being the baby of the family always has its perks.

My siblings are usually annoyed with me when I use the 'I'm youngest' excuse to get out of anything. But it does come in handy at times- I'm always just a bit smaller than Aleks and Damien, and I can act like I don't know any better about things. But when someone underestimates me, I can always come back and kick their rear. That makes it fun to be me.

I'm glad there's none of the 'middle child' issue in our family, because Aleks and Damien are twins and then comes me. Although I supposed you could say there is a middle child, because Aleks was fifteen minutes younger than Damien. But she's also the only girl in our family, so that helps.

And now, I was going to put my abilities to the test.

As the youngest among us (Lucy's birthday is a month before mine) I was going to do the wheedling. I was also going to be the one who secured a few things for the plan.

First off, to get our most royal clothes. They were hung in a wardrobe in my room. I laid each of them on the bed in the corresponding room.

Then, to get our crowns. They were beautiful little circlets; mine laid with emeralds, Dame's with sapphires, and Aleks's with amethysts. I again put them in the corresponding rooms.

Now, the hard part. There was one lady of the palace who had all the cosmetics you could possibly think of. Name anything, she had them. I would have to secure these.

My idea was this: Peter would come and ask to talk to the lord who was her husband about the Calormenes. Susan and Lucy would come and call on the lady, and ask her to come and walk with them in the gardens. Edmund would be around the corner. He knew how the door would shut and lock itself, and he knew how quick the door would close. He would motion for Susan and Lucy to leave, then run in and get the door open.

I would slip inside, look through their apartments for the case of cosmetics, and then get out as fast as I could with it, Edmund heading out the opposite direction. I would get the case to Aleks in her room, and then she'd draw up the next set of plans.

So here I was, standing in my position. I was with Nikolai, which was to be my excuse should one of the lords or ladies pass and wonder what I was doing. Nikolai was good at his role, jumping around and playing with a random bit of string from a tapestry. I heard Peter knocking on the door and speaking to the lord. I heard the door shut again, and the two passed me. I smiled innocently up at them and they continued walking.

About fifteen minutes passed and Lucy and Susan passed me on the way to the door. They knocked, and I heard the shrill voice of the lady answering. After a while, the voices started fading away, and then, instead of the slow creaking of the door shutting, I heard a clunk, as if something had stopped it. I stood, peering round the corner. It was Edmund's foot, stuck in the doorway to keep it open.

He motioned for me to go, and I ran in. Years of sneaking around our palace with my siblings has taught us to walk and run lightly. I looked around, saw an open door into a room that positively glowed with pink, and darted in.

There it was! The great wooden case of cosmetics. I snapped it shut, latched it, and got out. I looked around and then hightailed it for Aleks's room. I could hear the footsteps of Edmund darting in the opposite direction behind me.

As soon as I was in Aleks's room, she opened the case, laid it on the bed, and looked it over. "Yes, this will do perfectly. Thanks, Adrien."

"You owe me."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Later, after everyone had all gone to bed, I stayed up, sitting in bed and feeling a little lost and lonely. After the big ordeal, everyone had seemed too busy to do anything and I was once again the littlest, the unimportant one.

It was always, 'intelligent, beautiful Aleks' or 'strong, handsome Damien'. But then it was always, 'of course, little Adrien'.

I wanted a little reassurance. So I did something I had done often enough. I got out of bed, poked my head out the door into the dim hallway, walked the few steps to Damien's room, and opened the door quietly.

I was surprised to see Aleks in there too, both of them awake and sitting up. I climbed onto Damien's bed next to them, and I saw what was resting between them.

It was a book of drawings. It was turned to our favorite page, a picture of the three of us and a great, roaring lion behind us. In our mother's handwriting, below, it said, _Adrien, Damien, Aleks, and Aslan. Vos es tutis._

"What does _vos es tutis _mean?" I asked.

"You are protected." Damien replied.

We looked at each other for a few moments, then piled into one of our famous group hugs.

I wasn't unimportant. Everyone else was just stressed out.


	8. This Time I Won't Run Away

Disclaimer: Narnia does not belong to me

Disclaimer: Narnia does not belong to me.

**This Time I Won't Run Away**

Ah, the day the Calormenes came. It had finally arrived. I knew what Aleks was planning to do, but I still didn't know what it would look like.

As for Edmund, Susan, Lucy, and I, we just dressed as we usually did when company came. As I settled my golden crown upon my similarly colored hair, I smiled at its familiar weight and was soon on my way out the door.

I gathered my brother and sisters, and we descended the stairs into the throne room together. We settled into our thrones and it wasn't long before the Calormenes arrived.

As the Tarkaans finished their greetings and compliments, they grew serious. "We have heard that you have guests in your court that are of great interest to us. We would like to know if we could-"

"Announcing the guests to the Royal Court of Narnia, the Princess and Princes of Atlantis."

We all looked towards the door of the throne room, and there was a collective gasp around the room as they entered, Aleks first as usual.

Aleks had done a good job. She had taken the time to draw the elaborate designs that they wore to formal court in Atlantis on herself and her brothers. They wound up their arms and over their shoulders, up the sides of their necks, coming to an end at their temples. She'd even gone to the trouble to make the colors match those of their clothes and crowns- green for Adrien, blue for Damien, and purple for Aleks.

They strode up to the chairs set up for them near the dais where we sat, and I had to admit, they were doing a good job of being graceful and otherworldly. They sat on their chairs regally, as if they were thrones and this was their palace.

"We believe you were talking about us?" Damien said in a clear, commanding voice. I looked at them in awe. Aleks slipped us a surreptitious wink.

"Ah, yes, Prince Damien, we were simply intrigued that you came from such an interesting country, out in the ocean-"

"That is not all you came for, is it?" Damien interjected. The aura about him suggested that lying was a bad idea.

Of course, it was mostly acting. Some of it wasn't.

"Ah-well-no. We came to learn more about your intriguing culture-"

And yet the man chose to lie anyway.

Aleks spoke for the first time. "You lie. You came out of your greed for treasure. Your Tisroc's greed, your greed, it is all the same."

Adrien stood. "So we have a proposition for you. If you agree, we will tell you everything you would like to know about our culture. If you disagree, we will have nothing more to do with you or your country. Make peace with us. A simple request, is it not?"

The Tarkaan was clearly enraged by this show of seeming disrespect. He stood as well, clearly about to write his own fate. "We would never have anything to do with such disrespectful _children _as yourselves. We do not accept your proposition."

"Then you shall leave my court." I said simply. "For I know that they are all you came for."

The Tarkaan began to move forward, clearly thinking of violence, but movements from our guards stationed along the wall seemed to make him think otherwise.

He glared at us all a moment more, then stalked out of the room, taking the other lords and various entourage with him.

I led the way for my siblings and friends out of the throne room.


	9. I've Found The Strength

_Disclaimer: Narnia doesn't belong to me._

_A/N I am so incredibly sorry for the long wait. I had absolutely lost my inspiration for this…until I got Prince Caspian on DVD. I am so, so, so, so sorry._

**I Found The Strength To Face Life's Long Days**

Well, our little visit from the Calormenes went much better than I had ultimately expected. I was feeling happy as I combed through my long black hair in the early morning sunlight. I stared into my own blue eyes in the mirror, inspecting myself. I passed my own self-exam and left to go to breakfast.

I was apparently later than everyone else, for they were all there when I arrived. It seemed everyone shared my elated mood. I seated myself next to Lucy, watching as she happily chatted with Aleks. Edmund, Damien, and Adrien were arguing agreeably over, oddly enough, the different swimming techniques and which was fastest. Everyone looked so happy and carefree. I glanced over the whole table, my eyes landing on my eldest brother.

Well, not everyone.

Peter was pushing his scrambled eggs- prepared with cheese and ham, his very favorite- around his plate, eyeing them as if they were cockroaches rather than his favorite breakfast dish. His face was drawn and grey, as if he hadn't gotten very much sleep last night.

"Peter," I called down the table. Everyone stopped talking and looked, simultaneously, in my direction, then in his. "You don't look well. Are you ill?"

Peter dropped is fork. He rubbed his blue eyes and shook his head as if he was getting rid of an annoying fly. "No, I'm not ill, so to speak, but the things that are going on are enough to make me feel that way."

"What's happening?" Lucy asked, her eyes wide.

Peter sighed, leaning forward, letting his forehead rest on his hand. "There have been more attacks on the Narnians. Tumnus came up and said that the attacks definitely looked like the work of a werewolf."

Aleks shuddered on the other side of Lucy from me. Lucy rested a hand on her shoulder. "What should we do?"

"We're going to have to go and investigate. But I'd much rather that only Susan and I go. It could be too dangerous, and I don't want anyone hurt on my account."

"That is ridiculous."

Everyone stared at Aleks, surprised by her flat, blatant remark. "If, for some reason, a werewolf was to attack you, you would have no one to help you. Then what? Narnia's High King and their Queen would be gone, left only to the two others. While none is higher positioned than the others, it would be an incomplete system without you two. If you have the rest of us to back you up, then you have more of a chance. Honestly, it doesn't matter if we find out what's going on if you're just going to die about it, because without you the country would just fall to pieces anyway."

An awkward silence fell upon the table. After a few minutes, my younger brother's voice broke it. "She's right, Pete. Narnia would die without you. They need you, and frankly…" Edmund looked embarrassed, "So do we."

Everyone besides Aleks sat there looking stunned. It was clear that no one knew what to say, or in Aleks's and Edmund's case, they had already said it.

Peter sat there, looking the most paralyzed by what they had said. Because each of us knew what they said was true, deep down, but we needed it to be said before we really realized it.

Another silence fell. It was a long time before Peter stood. "We'd best get ready," He mumbled to his plate. "We'll be leaving in an hour."

And with that, he left.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"You have a very remarkable way of dealing with things."

This was my remark to Aleks as we fitted ourselves with leather armor. It was lighter than metal and looked much less formal and threatening. As she pulled on her gauntlets, she shrugged. "I never really think much about it. Honesty is the best policy, no matter what happens afterwards." She gave a last tug to the laces on the back of her leather corset and stretched. "Besides, it usually ends up well anyway."

I thought about what she said, and how dishonesty had indeed caused many problems with my siblings. "I suppose you're right."

Lucy poked her head into the room. "Are you coming or not?"

I gave her a mock disapproving look and pulled my bow and quiver down from their places. Aleks sheathed her two swords in their places on her back, then took her own bow and quiver. We followed Lucy out to the foyer, where we stood waiting for the boys.

Aleks looked at my bow, quiver, and horn. I could tell she was admiring them, but not in a jealous, wanting way. "Susan?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes?"

"Did…did you _really _meet Father Christmas?"

Lucy and I looked at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. We knew she was completely serious, but the question was just too funny to ignore.

When the laughter had subsided, I said, "Yes, we did. But why would you, Princess Aleksandra of Atlantis, be so interested by that?"

Aleks looked at us with a mixture of surprise and awe. "Princess nothing, he's pretty much more powerful than I could ever hope to be."

Her words brought back memories. I imagined the tall, robust yet still old man, dressed in resplendent red and white furs. He was more savage than they portrayed him in paintings, not quite the jovial, bowl-of-jelly-belly that people seemed to believe, but all the same kind and understanding.

Aleks leaned against the wall, thinking hard- probably wondering just what in the world Father Christmas would be like. Probably very different from any portrayal she had ever seen.

"And what… what is _He_ like?" She asked quietly. Somehow, her question surprised me. I thought that such people as Aleksandra and her brothers would have seen the Lion already.

"More than you could ever imagine."


	10. Where Is Reality?

Disclaimer: Don't own.

**Where Is Reality?**

We walked along quietly. As the second youngest, and definitely the smallest, I was best at doing this, although the three Pace children were pretty good as well. The air between the seven of us- were the really seven of us? It didn't seem like so many- was tangibly, taste-ably tense. We knew something was going to happen today.

We arrived at the scene of the latest attack, situated uncomfortably close to Mr. Tumnus's cave. If anything happened to him, I'd never be able to forgive myself. He was my closest friend, and without him, I would be next to nothing.

We searched the large clearing. It was horrible, claw marks gouged deep in the trees, branches littering the ground. I blinked back tears, giving the trees pats and ginger hugs. They bent their remaining limbs to hug me back. Everyone was so struck by the disgusting, horrible scene. One tree had been cut so deep she had sap running out of her- her blood. Even Edmund's eyes were filled with tears, Susan was crying freely, and Aleks actually had to close her eyes for a moment so she wouldn't be sick.

I myself felt ill. My stomach turned at the thought of a mind so sick and twisted to have done this to the trees. I wandered among them, letting my tears go. I leaned against one that hadn't been hurt quite as badly and wrapped my arms around him. I kissed his bark, and he bent a branch down to my shoulders. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

There was a guttural growl behind me. I froze, then turned slowly to meet my maker.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It was a disgusting creature. Its fur was a matted, muddy, bloody grey-brown. Its eyes were dead black, and they shone with hunger and hate. I backed up against the tree, my eyes widening at the sight of the creature. The tree curled his limbs toward me, but the poor thing was so weak, I don't think it would have helped much anyway.

I couldn't help it. As the thing snarled at me again, I screamed- an ear-piercing, bloodcurdling shriek that hopefully, someone would hear.

The thing laughed in its guttural voice. "They won't be able to hear you," he said, his gravelly voice laced with irony. "They are too far away. You are mine now, little girl."

He tensed to pounce, and I screwed my eyes shut, ready for my doom.

I heard him leave the ground, his paws ripping gouges in the earth, but as his body whistled through the air, something came at me from the wrong direction. My eyes snapped open as someone pulled me aside. I heard the metallic scraping sound of a sword being pulled from a sheath as my rescuer swung at the werewolf. I recognized the back of his blonde head- it was Damien.

As soon as the sword slashed across the creature, Damien whipped around, grabbed my arm, and started running, saying, "Come on, Queen, we have to go!"

I followed him, nearly tripping over myself in several places, but I managed to stay upright as we made it back into the clearing. Everyone turned to look at us, hands on various hilts or, in Susan's case, arrows.

"It's coming," Damien panted. "And it's hungry."


	11. I Am Holding On To The Visions I've Seen

Disclaimer: Narnia belongs to C.S. Lewis

**I Am Holding On To The Visions I've Seen**

Considering that I'm only a boy of fourteen, I guess it's pretty impressive that I didn't run away when I heard the werewolf was coming towards us. I wanted to run, certainly, but I knew that would be the absolute wrong thing to do. So I kept my hand on my sword, and I determinedly fixed my brown eyes on the place where I knew the thing would come from.

Aleks decided to save her swords for later, and pulled out her bow, stringing it and nocking an arrow. Susan followed suit, and they kept their arrows pointed down range. My own hand tightened on the hilt of my sword. I hoped that I wouldn't have to use it too much today.

I heard rustling from inside the trees. Everyone tensed- as if we could be any tenser!- and readied themselves for what was to come.

The werewolf emerged from the bracken, so wild now that he was more wolf than man. He grinned at the sight of us, ready to fight him. "You are foolish to stand between me and the little girl."

"She is more than a girl," Peter said valiantly. "She is your Queen."

"I heed not to the Narnian rulers!" And with that, it lunged at us.

My first instinct was not to run, but to go towards it. I drew my sword, feeling anger and adrenaline replacing the blood in my veins. I was faster than any of them; I had my sword out and slashing at him before I really knew what I was doing. He clawed at me, and I was grateful for whoever had their sword in the way of his claws.

For all that we could do, he was unbelievably strong, and we could not beat him back. I hadn't noticed anyone climbing the trees, but suddenly he was on his knees, an arrow in his back. The arrow didn't have a red feather, like Susan's, but blue and white feathers. I had my sword at his neck before he could move. "Who _do _you heed to, so that I may make it so he is no longer?"

"The…" The werewolf gasped for breath "The Tisroc promised me a good life if I killed your guests. And," another heaving breath was taken, "If I took any of you as well, it would be better."

I stepped back, sheathing my sword. The werewolf collapsed on his face, and I continued to stumble backwards, Peter catching me so I didn't fall. My eyes slowly traveled up the tree to where Aleks stood, her bow still in position. She stared back at me in horror.

"Come on," Adrien muttered. As the youngest here, he was surprisingly good at keeping his head. "We should get out of here." He extended his hands to his sister in the tree. She took them and jumped down, the shocked expression still on her face. I'm sure my face looked quite similar as Peter and Susan shepherded me out of the clearing, Lucy sobbing quietly behind us into Damien's shirt.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"They want us."

Those were the first words that Aleks had spoken in the two hours that had passed since the werewolf attack. She was sitting, wrapped up in a blanket, next to the fire, her brothers at her feet. Peter was sitting next to her on the hearth, Susan and Lucy sharing the big armchair. I was sitting in my own chair, Indian-style, wrapped in my own blanket. Everyone had gotten uncharacteristically cold after the fact, and we had all had chocolate and blankets, sitting next to the fire. Up until now, we had been mostly silent.

"They can't have you." Susan said. "They refused to make peace with you, so they can't expect you to just be used by them."

"But the way they see it is if they can't have you," I said grimly, "No one can."

Aleks looked down at her knees. Or where her knees should be, covered by the swaths of the huge blanket. Adrien and Damien shared a look, Adrien frightened, Damien weary.

"But don't worry," Peter said, squeezing Aleks's shoulder. I was surprised- Peter hadn't shown any signs of affection to any of them so far. "We're keeping you." There was a slight teasing tone to his voice.

"Now that we've been discussed as if we were pets," Damien said, "What exactly do you plan to do about the situation?"

"I'm hoping it doesn't come to a fight, although things definitely look as though they will end that way. If we can get them to come to a council with us- and by us, I mean _us_, not you three- then we may be able to work everything out. But I'm not so sure- Calormenes are particularly temperamental, as you saw before."

"But if it does come to a fight, there's no question of loyalty," I assured everyone. Even in these five days they had been here- had it only been five? Well, one to arrive, three before the Calormenes came, and then today- we had established a near friends-for-life kind of relationship with the three of them. I was backed up on my opinion by vigorous nods from the rest of my family.

"How well will they listen to you?" Adrien asked nervously. "What if they don't? Then what?"

"They would pretend to leave, first- they wouldn't attack while they were still guests in our castle, but they would double back and come for you. They really should start thinking of new battle plans- theirs are old and worn out. But I digress," Peter said.

"You do that quite a lot, actually," I interrupted, grinning. Damien, Adrien, and Aleks managed to crack smiles at that one. Call me Mr. Sarcasm. Actually, I guess it would be King Sarcasm.

"As I was saying," Peter continued with a smile, "It's most likely not going to come to that. While they are power-hungry and cruel, Calormenes are also wise. They know what they're doing. So don't worry," He looked around at all of us. "It will be fine."

At least, that's what we hoped.


	12. Of What I Could Be

Disclaimer: Narnia belongs to C.S. Lewis, the song; Morning Has Broken is by Joseph McManners

A/N: That last chapter was a terrible one. I hope you find this one to be much better. It's a little sappy, and I'm sorry if you think it very un-Edmund like.

**Of What I Could Be**

It was five o' clock the next morning, and I was on the beach outside of Cair Paravel. I wasn't wearing shoes, and the sand felt pleasant between my toes. The cool air of the morning blew through my hair, which I had let tumble down my back loosely. All these things were calming, which was good because my nerves couldn't be any more frazzled.

I, Princess Aleksandra Lucy Aleida Johanna Pace, Lady of the Gardens, Queen-to-be of Atlantis, and various other titles that I didn't even know of, was a nuisance and a hazard to everyone around me. It frustrated me that the Calormenes couldn't just back off and stay there. They had dug this trench for themselves, yet they refused to admit it and instead dug themselves even deeper!

I watched the sun come up from over the ocean, and I began to greet him in my trilling soprano, as you were supposed to in Atlantis if you were awake to meet the sun.

"Morning has broken, like the first morning.

Black bird has spoken like the first bird.

Praise for the singing,

Praise for the morning,

Praise for them springing fresh from the world.

"Sweet the rain's newfall, sunlit from Heaven,

Like the first dewfall on the first grass.

Praise for the sweetness

Of the wet garden,

Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.

"Mine is the sunlight!

Mine is the morning!

Born of the one light,

Eden saw play!

Praise with elation!

Praise every morning!

God's recreation of the new day!

"Morning has broken like the first morning.

Black bird has spoken like the first bird.

Praise for the singing,

Praise for the morning,

Praise for them springing fresh from the world."

The sun was fully up by the time I was done with the greeting song, and I smiled, walking closer to the water to let its warmth slide over my toes. I heard soft footsteps behind me on the sand, but I didn't turn to see who it was. I saw a flash of dark hair out of the corner of my left eye.

"Good morning, Aleks."

"Good morning, Edmund."

"I liked your song." He had a smile on his face, but he was completely serious.

"It's traditional in Atlantis to sing the greeting song to the sun if you are awake before him." I turned my head to look at him, and he swung his gaze from the sea to me. "I can teach it to you if you'd like."

"Maybe," he mused. "Why are you up so early, again? Were you working on your painting?"

I shook my head. "The only thing left to do with that painting is find it a frame. I suppose I'll go to the market at Beaversdam soon to find one. But no, I wasn't up finishing the painting."

We were silent for a little while, watching the early morning sunlight glint off the water. "The sea helps me think, too," Edmund offered, not looking away from the waves. "I come out here when I need to figure something out. Did you come to a conclusion in your thoughts?"

"Yes," I replied hesitantly. "But I don't like it much, and I'm not sure you will either."

"Mmm."

I took a breath. "I think…we should leave."

He didn't move, didn't reply, but his eyebrows pulled together slightly.

"We've put your family and your country in danger, and we've only been here for six days. If that's the kind of fortune we're to bring upon people, then we should stay at home, bring it upon ourselves. Pay for it with our own money." My face twisted into a wry expression. "With the Festival of Lights coming up, there will be more people at Cair Paravel than ever, and I don't want anyone else to be hurt because of us. I don't want to take that chance. You love your people, and out of our affection for you, we'll do you a favor and _not _stick around and put them in danger."

He was silent for a long time, only staring out at the water. I cast my eyes downward, to where my feet made prints in the sand. He wasn't wearing shoes either. I watched as the waves raced forth and fell back, again and again, back and forth. An endless game, with no rules other than to make it from one point or another.

Finally, he spoke. "The Festival of Lights honors the time when Aslan made the stars. Millions of little points of light in the sky, each having its own personality." He turned his head to look at me. "There are the stars that are full of themselves and burn themselves out before their times. There are the stars that are cautious and burn for a long time, but then burn out because of anxiety. And then there're the stars that just try to be the best they can be, believing that everyone's better, but trying hard to be themselves. Those are the stars that become morning stars, and suns. You are the sun. You believe that you bring misfortune upon your planet, but your planet loves you all the same." He turned his whole body so he was facing me, and reached out to put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't leave your planet."

"I thought Atlantis was my planet."

"Atlantis is your home. It's where your creator is. But everyone leaves home eventually, don't they? Look at me- I'm from a completely different world."

"I'm afraid…I'm not a big enough star to be a sun yet," I whispered.

And to my surprise, Edmund pulled me into an uncharacteristic hug. "You can always come back- your planet isn't going anywhere," he murmured.

We squeezed each other tight for a moment, then he let me go, back to himself with the comment, "It's almost time for breakfast, we should go. I'm hungry."

I laughed to myself as I followed him back to the palace. Every once in a while, between the thoughts about food, swordfighting, and girls, you'd find some real intellect in a boy.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Everyone was at the table when we arrived. "Where were you two?" Peter asked, looking up from buttering his toast as we took our seats at the table.

"Just taking a walk," Edmund replied smoothly. As if I hadn't just had a meltdown outside. "It's a nice day."

"It is," Susan replied thoughtfully. "I was thinking of going to the market today to find a few things I needed."

"I was planning to do that, too," I said. "Is there anybody else who needed to find something?"

"I do," replied five voices simultaneously.

Susan and I glanced at each other. "Then I guess everyone is going. It is almost the Festival of Lights, after all- if people want to finish up their gifts, then they probably would want to go to the market."

"And _everyone_ is going to be there, you know," Lucy said excitedly. "Everyone's going to be looking for things to add on to their gifts."

"Then we'll go right after I finish writing a letter," Peter promised. "It's pretty important, I want to finish it as soon as possible." His eyes flickered to my brothers and me, and I was pretty sure I knew who the letter was to.


	13. It's What I Should Be

Disclaimer: Narnia belongs to C.S Lewis.

A/N: Sorry that this title's chapter looks like the last one…the titles are the lyrics to the song, More Than It Seems, by Kutless, which also does not belong to me. Sorry about the delay, too- school just started again.

**It's What I Should Be**

I pocketed the little pouch of Lions and Trees I had exchanged with Peter. We figured that our Atlantean money, Corals and Shells (Which were not actually coral and shells- we simply called them that because we were an island country.) was of the same value as the Lions and Trees. The gold and silver coins, inscribed with a lion's face or a great tree, so different from our blue and silver inscribed with waves and a ship, clinked promisingly in my pocket. I shook out my blonde hair, inspected my blue tunic, and poked my head through the door of my sister's room to find her gazing critically at her painting. "What do you think, Dame? A cherry finish, or a mahogany finish?"

"For what?" I asked, fully stepping into her room and closing the door behind me. Aleks cast me a disparaging look.

"The _frame_, Damien. For the _painting_."

"_Ohhh_." I thought for a minute, studying the colors. "Cherry, I think. Mahogany would be too dark."

"That's what I was thinking." Aleks nodded and threw her sheet back over it. She slung her bag over her shoulder, her own pouch of Lions and Trees inside. "Thanks for telling me what I was thinking."

"Anytime."

It was strange how tense she had been, only yesterday, and this morning she just waltzes into breakfast like it was just an ordinary day. The rest of them hadn't been worried to begin with, but Aleks had been sure it was all her fault. Now, however, she was just as happy as the rest of them. It made me suspicious.

We met our brother outside. As we advanced upon him, he quickly and suspiciously stowed something in his pocket. Why were my siblings being all suspicious today? It was really starting to freak me out.

"Adrien, what is in your pocket?" Aleks asked. Adrien looked up at her sheepishly.

"Nothing…?"

"It doesn't look like nothing to me."

Adrien sighed and extracted a white, fuzzy lump from his pocket. Nikolai looked up at Aleks hopefully. "Pleeeeeeeease can I come?"

Aleks thought for a minute, then looked at me. "What do you think?"

"I'm thinking not. Nikolai would get lost among the crowd, and then we'd have to find him, and that would take hours, and nothing would get done."

Aleks looked at Adrien. "Sorry, but I'm going to have to agree with him."

Adrien sighed again. "Sorry, Nik." He set the kitten down on the floor. Nikolai looked downcast for a moment, then a bit of dust went floating by and he attempted to tackle it.

"Come on, guys, let's go," I said, impatient. I wanted to finish everything up. My siblings looked at me, smiled at my impatient expression, and followed me down to the foyer.


	14. Passing Through The Darkness

Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: And suddenly, an idea appears! Thank you, O Muse! (Don't ask me how they found chocolate in Narnia! Just suppose it grows on one of the Lone Islands.)

**Passing Through The Darkness**

"Adrien? Come on, you're dragging behind!" my sister called to me. I looked away from the ground and saw that she and the others were, indeed, several yards ahead of me. I sped up so I wouldn't be left behind.

Lucy was chattering happily about the marketplace. "…It's a busy place on regular days, but today it'll be positively full to burst! You must see the sweets shop; they have the most amazing peanut butter fudge. Oh, and the Willow sisters' jewelry shop is amazing! And…"

I let her voice fade into the background as she continued to enthuse to Aleks about the many wonders of the marketplace. We walked a few more yards, and came upon a little hill, blocking the view of the marketplace, though I could certainly hear it.

As we arrived on the crest of the hill, I found myself staring in wonder. The 'shops' were little huts, like all of the buildings we'd seen here (aside from Cair Paravel, of course.). The wide dirt path stretching between them was at least a quarter of a mile long and absolutely full to bursting of Animals, Dryads, Naiads, Fauns, Minotaurs, Centaurs, and any other creature you could think of. My excitement rose exponentially.

"Alright, everyone," Susan said, sounding much too much like my mother, "We'll meet back here in three hours, shall we? Until then, just roam around. If anyone gives you trouble, tell them who you are and who you're with."

I was excited about the shopping trip, but afraid to go into the marketplace alone. As Damien had already left with Edmund, I scooted over to my sister and grabbed her elbow. She smiled down at me. "Come on, Age, let's go."

We looked around at the different shops, reading the signs and debating on whether we wanted to go in or not. Finally, Aleks found one she absolutely wanted to go into- Slivers the Beaver's Woodworking shop. I needed a few things from that shop as well, so we entered the store.

The beaver in the shop- Slivers, I presumed- greeted us cheerfully and asked if we needed anything. As Aleks went to look at frames, I browsed the selections. There were a number of beautifully done carvings, in all different sizes, a bowl of lovely wooden beads, and several more bowls that were just bowls for sale. But nothing here was what I needed.

While Aleks debated over two frames, the shopkeeper walked over to me. "Is there anything here you're interested in?"

"It's all very lovely work, sir," I sighed, "But none of it is what I'm looking for. Do you perhaps any plain blocks of wood that I can carve myself?"

"Ah, a woodcarver in training, are you? I know just the thing." He led me to the back of the shop, where he disappeared through a low doorway covered with a thick curtain. He reappeared in a few minutes, holding a stack of blocks of wood. "What size are you looking for?" he asked, setting them on a little desk next to a cash box.

"Something about this size would be good," I said, picking up a block that was almost perfectly cubed and about the size of my hand on each side. "My carvings are sort of big. Not the little things like you do- I'm not good enough for that yet."

"In time, sir, in time," the old Beaver chuckled. He went back into the little storerooms and came up with two more blocks of wood. I paid for them, thanked him, and with my package, found Aleks with her frame. She paid for hers, and then we set out.

The blocks of wood were really all I had needed to finish up my gifts. Everything else I had finished on my own time. Now, I was perfectly content to just meander around and see what there was to see.

"What do you want to do now?" I asked, glancing at my sister. She thought for a moment.

"Let's go find that sweet shop Lucy was so excited about- she's made me curious."

The mention of sweets was enough to get us both moving quickly, so we hurried through the crowded street until we found it. Along with the shop, we found my brother and Edmund there, looking over the pans of chocolate and tins of chewy fruit slices. They waved when they saw us.

I tried one of the samples on a tray. As I popped it into my mouth, I found it to be the peanut butter fudge that Lucy had mentioned, and it definitely was worth mentioning. It was creamy and thick, with a rich peanut butter taste. I knew I had to make Aleks try some of it, so I took another sample off the tray and went to find her and give it to her.

As I ambled through the shop- which was much larger than any of the others had been-, I heard a struggle in the back. Then came the sound of pans falling over, a grunt of someone lifting something heavy over his shoulder, and then a flash of light as the curtain on the back door of the shop was lifted. I thought nothing of it, supposing that someone was taking a large sack of something out of the shop, and had had some time getting it up- in fact, knocking over a few pans along the way- and then leaving. Pretty normal.

"Aleks?" I said, seeing a girl that looked like her from the back. She turned around, and I realized that she was a Dryad. "Sorry," I apologized. "I thought you were someone else." The Dryad smiled at me graciously.

I couldn't find my sister anywhere. "Hey, Dame, have you seen Aleks?"

"I thought she was with you," my brother replied.

"Well, she_ was_, but now I can't find her." I frowned. Aleks and Damien were the very best of friends- practically one person at times. If _he _didn't know where she was, then, most likely, no one else would either.

Growing worried now, I let my brother return to Edmund and continued my quest. "Aleks? Aleks?" I called. No one answered, no one turned around. There was no relieved call of, "There you are!" or "Where have you been?"

"Aleks! Aleks!" I said frantically, looking around the busy shop. "Aleksandra!"

If she didn't answer to her full name, she wasn't there.

No answer.

All of a sudden, realization hit me like a speeding Centaur: That struggle in the back of the store hadn't been someone lifting a heavy load. My sister had been kidnapped.

I wheeled around and pushed my way back to where Damien and Edmund where.

"Edmund! Damien!" They turned at the sound of my name. "I can't find Aleksandra anywhere. I think she's been kidnapped, did you hear that struggle before?"

The two exchanged glances with each other. "Did you call her full name?" Damien asked. He knew that when I used her full name about anything to him, I was being serious, so he took me seriously.

"Yes, and she didn't answer."

Damien paled, looking suddenly like I was sure I looked. "Edmund, go find your brother. Adrien and I will find Lucy and Susan. Tell Peter that Aleksandra- and use her full name, because I mean business- has been kidnapped."

Edmund nodded and raced off through the door of the shop. Damien grabbed my wrist and pulled me out through the other doorway, and we were off. As we ran, I saw Lucy up ahead of us with her bag full of parcels. I grabbed her hand as we ran by. "We need to find Susan!"

"Why?"

"Aleksandra's been kidnapped!"

Lucy began running hard now, keeping up with us. We saw the back of Susan's glossy black head a few paces ahead, and we began yelling her name like idiots.

"Susan! Susan!" She turned.

"What ever is the matter?"

Damien relayed the story to her. "Should we try to find Peter and Edmund?"

Susan shook her head. "No. We will go to our meeting place and find them there. Otherwise, it will take longer."

We decided she would be right and followed her to the little hill overlooking the marketplace. I hopelessly scanned the crowd below us for Aleks, knowing I wouldn't find her.


	15. Into My Own World

Disclaimer: Own nothing but the Atlanteans.

**Into My Own World**

As I was casually browsing through the products at the silversmith's, enjoying the nice day, I heard my name being called behind me.

"Peter! Peter!" the voice of my little brother preceded him. He stopped, panting for breath, before me. "Peter, Aleksandra's been kidnapped," he gasped.

"What?" I said, my unfortunate habit of not being able to comprehend bad situations showing through. I had heard the words, but my brain didn't quite process it.

Edmund took me by the shoulders. "Aleksandra. Has. Been. _Kidnapped_." He gave me a little shake with every word.

I let the news sink in, the blood draining from my face. And it had been such a nice day, too. "Where are the others?" I asked, my voice changing into that of someone who knows he's in charge.

"Damien and Adrien went to find Susan and Lucy…there they are, at the meeting place," he pointed.

"Come on," I said- no, ordered- and set off at a pace which I thought impossible. Edmund followed me dutifully, and we reached the others in a matter of seconds.

The walk back to Cair Paravel was brisk and silent. Adrien clung to his brother, looking like the young boy he had certainly once been. Damien himself looked sick. I knew that although there was no one leader among the three, they weren't a complete set without each other. It was like sword without a hilt, or a ship without a sail. Mostly broken, barely useful.

When we returned to the palace, I said, "Someone find General Oreius and tell him to come to the throne room at once! There is a crisis!"

Immediately, a Faun hurried away to fulfill my instructions. I didn't look to see who it was, and I didn't much care at the moment. There was a much bigger matter to be attending to at the moment.

When we arrived at the throne room, Oreius was awaiting our return. "What has happened, your Majesties?" he asked anxiously. "Judging by your faces, it is a terrible thing."

"It _is_ a terrible thing, Oreius," Edmund replied. His tone was angry, and to my surprise, cracked slightly. But by the tightness in my own throat, I guessed mine would do the same. "Princess Aleksandra has been kidnapped. Stolen. Taken from us. However you might wish to say it."

Oreius contemplated this for a moment. "Where did you last see her?"

Everyone turned to look at Adrien, who was still sticking close to his brother. "The sweet shop in the marketplace. I'd heard a struggle at the back, but I had thought it was someone moving a heavy load. It's all my fault."

And my usually grave general softened. "It is not your fault, young Prince. Men older and more accomplished than you have let worse things happen." He then turned to me. "King Peter, the first thing I would suggest is returning to the shop tomorrow and questioning the shopkeeper, and any others who might have been around at the time of the abduction. That is the only way to get any leads on the kidnapper."

"And that is the only advice you have to offer at this moment?" I asked.

"Regrettably, yes."

"Thank you, Oreius. You may return to whatever you were doing before I interrupted."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

That night I had dreams like I'd never had before. In each one, I was in a different place. First, the sweet shop, then the grounds of Cair Paravel, then the forests of Lantern Waste, then, inexplicably, the streets of England. But in each place, one thing was always the same. My name called over and over again, in Aleks's voice.

"_Peter! Peter!" Her voice cried, anguished._

"_Aleks!" I called, turning around and around, unable to find her. Each time, I thought I saw her out of the corner of my eye, and I turned, never seeming to catch her._

"_Peter! Oh, help me, Peter! Please, help me!"_

"_I can't see you!" I cried desperately. "I can't see you." The last part was a despairing mumble._

I shot bolt upright in bed, with tears running down my face. I was a failure. There was no doubt about it. I had let a guest and a friend be taken right from under my nose. I had failed my people.


	16. Will I Be More Than When I Left?

Disclaimer: Narnia does not belong to me.

**Will I Be More Than When I Left?**

As the two eldest, Peter and I decided we would be the ones to lead the interviews. I was almost glad to leave Cair Paravel. You could see how Aleks's kidnapping had affected everyone. Everything was eerily silent. Adrien was a ghost, Damien had sat in his room all day, refusing food, and Edmund practiced with his sword on the practice dummies relentlessly, already having shredded one to ribbons. Not even Lucy smiled or spoke. Peter was convinced it had all been his fault, and even now I knew he was berating himself in his mind as we walked to the shop.

When we entered in the low doorway, people took one look at our faces and moved aside, knowing this was business. We went immediately to the back, and at the counter, we found a young Dryad boy. His chin-length, willowy hair hung all in his eyes and was of an odd, green-brown color. His bright green eyes stood out oddly on his dark, bark-colored skin. He couldn't have been any older than Lucy.

"We would like to speak to the shopkeeper, please," I said kindly to him.

"Y-yes, Queen Susan," the boy stuttered. He rushed away, and in a moment was back with a stout and cheery Red Dwarf woman.

"Oh, your Majesties, what an honor. How may I help you?" She smiled at us, obviously not really reading into our faces.

"As many people in Narnia know by now, we have three guests at Cair Paravel," Peter said. "Yesterday, everyone was here at the marketplace. My royal brother Edmund was here himself, with the three guests, the Princes and Princess of Atlantis. The youngest of them, Prince Adrien, was with his sister, Princess Aleksandra, when he lost sight of her in the crowd. He told us that he heard a disturbance in the back of the store, near the back door. We have not seen Princess Aleksandra since, and we believe her to be abducted. We were wondering if you had heard this disturbance and if you had perhaps seen the perpetrator."

The Dwarf woman thought for a long moment. "I did hear the disturbance, but earlier that day I had asked someone to come pick up a load for me. I believed that to be what I heard. But I never actually saw him."

"I saw him," the Dryad boy spoke up. He immediately blushed the dark blush of a Wood-Nymph as I turned to look at him.

"What is your name?" I asked warmly. He seemed to relax a bit.

"Dara," he replied.

"Well, Dara, what exactly did you see?"

"I saw a man- really tall, and dark, not like me, but darker. He had a beard, it was red, and he had cloth wrapped around his head with a spike sticking out of the top," Dara recited. Obviously, he had never been outside of Narnia, or seen anyone from there, because he had no idea he was describing a Calormene Tarkaan. "I saw the girl too, the Princess, I suppose, because she was very pretty with long hair and she was carrying a package. I never saw him take the Princess, but he was always following her, and watching her."

He looked between me and Peter, finished with his story, as we glanced at each other. Our worst fears had been confirmed- the Calormenes had taken immediate action before we could get to them first.

"Thank you for your help," I said quietly. We left the store, and the whole way back to the castle, I could tell my brother was thinking hard. When we entered the courtyard, once again he said to the nearest person, "Fetch the general." But this time, he added after a moment's pause, "And the astronomer."

When we were inside, he said to me, "Go find Lucy and Edmund. I'll find the other two. Bring them to the throne room."

I nodded and complied. I found Lucy sitting in a window with her knees drawn up to her chin, staring out at the sea. I took her to the practice fields, where Edmund was still going at the dummies with a fury like none other. I noted that he had reduced yet another to shreds and was now working on his third. When we managed to get him away from the dummies (and his sword), I took them both back to the throne room.

Peter entered holding Damien by the upper arm, and looking as if he'd had to drag him forcefully from his room. Adrien wandered along behind him like a lost puppy. Once he had seated Damien and made sure he wouldn't get up and leave, he took his own seat. The rest of us followed suit.

Oreius arrived with the court Astronomer, a female Centaur named Lilygaze. She was stately, with thick black hair streaming behind her, and sharp, dark eyes. "You called for us, my Lord?" Oreius asked.

"I did," Peter said simply. "Our suspicions have been confirmed. The Calormenes are behind this."

Oreius's eyebrows pulled together, and he crossed his arms. Edmund clenched his fists, Adrien shrank back, Damien grew even stonier, and Lucy's lower lip quivered as if she was about to cry. Only Lilygaze seemed unfazed and serene.

"Astronomer, what do the skies read?" Peter asked.

"Troubled times are before us, Sire, and they will get worse for a time. But the Wolf Star, the bright Protector, glows bright, rivaled only by the great Spear-Head itself. We shall prevail, if we are cautious and sharp-witted." Her smooth voice relayed this to us with barely any emotion.

"Sire, if I may," Oreius began, "I would suggest that we scout the area. We must first draw up a list of most likely places the Calormenes may be hiding her. Then, we can send out a party to each place to spy on any who might be there. If there are any reports of something unusual, we will be right on it."

Peter nodded. "If you find a map, we can start drawing up the list right now. Lilygaze, your services are no longer needed, thank you."

Both Centaurs nodded and left. Oreius returned several minutes with a large map of Narnia, a folding table, and a sheet of parchment, a quill, and an inkwell. He unfolded the table and laid the map flat on it. Readying the quill over the parchment, Peter began.

"They are either somewhere out to the west, somewhere remote, in the forest by the falls, or they are to the south, near Archenland, so they can make a quick escape through the mountains back to Calormen. We'll have to search both places, unless we get a lead on where they are."

Knowing this was going to be a long and rather dull conversation, I left them to it.


End file.
